COLUMBIA, SC – Police say a mother killed her estranged husband’s girlfriend before killing her two kids and then herself.

On the day before the shootings, police were at the home of 36-year-old Jessica Edens after her estranged husband called and asked them to check on their 5-year-old daughter.

He explained he and Edens were in court earlier that day regarding the custody of their 5-year-old daughter, and that Edens had sent him a disturbing text message.

Police noted that Edens and her two kids were about to sit down to eat popcorn and watch a movie, and that the 5-year-old girl was on the phone with her father.

Edens explained to police that she and her husband were in the middle of a divorce and that she planned to expose his year long affair with a co-worker, 28-year-old Meredith Rahme. Police had already gotten reports from Rahme about her receiving harassing text messages and phone calls from Edens.

There was even a post on homewreckers.com that seems to show Rahme’s picture that read: “This little girl has no self respect and no morals. She dates married men who have children and she doesn’t even want or like kids.”

Despite this, the officers left after observing no problems at Edens’ home and noting Edens showed no signs of erratic or concerning behavior.

The next day, Edens drove with her 9-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter to the apartments where her estranged husband lived. Police are not sure if she waited for Rahme to arrive, but she shot Rahme to death as she sat in her vehicle in the complex’s parking garage.

Two hours later, deputies found Edens’ SUV locked and running in a gas station parking lot with her and her children dead inside. All three had died from a single shot to the head or neck, after Edens used a .40-caliber handgun to shoot her children before turning the gun on herself.

According to Greenville Police Chief Ken Miller, there were some indications that Edens may do something violent, but the information came too late.

“There is some indication that about the time of the custody decision that she had some sense of inflicting violence either on the children or on herself or both. But that wasn’t discovered until after she was discovered last night,” Miller said.

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